At least 15 killed, 20 wounded due to riots in Ecuador’s largest prison

At least 15 people dead and 20 injured due to riots and clashes between inmates armed with guns and knives inside the Latacunga prison in central Ecuador on Monday, authorities said.

The Prison Administration Service said that announced that tactical units were continuing operations to regain control of the facility, located in the southern Ecuadoran city of Latacunga.

The prison, which houses about 4,300 prisoners and is one of the largest in the country, has been the site of seven major outbreaks of violence linked to drug trafficking that have left more than 400 inmates dead since February 2021.

Authorities have been unable to prevent the brutal violence, which is often carried out with knives and has involved beheadings.

According to official estimates, the country’s overcrowded prisons contain about 35,000 prisoners, many of them members of gangs linked to drug trafficking.

E.M